Seoul's April 2026 monthly mean temperature was 15.0 °C, three stations logged no snow days and six regions' visitor estimates ran above their 12-month means.
In April 2026, the Seoul, Busan and Jeju station records were mild and foreign visitor estimates ran above their usual level, so the choice is between comfortable weather and company.
Is April worth it, and what season is it?
April is spring in Korea. The records on this page describe April 2026 only. They are observations from one year, not a forecast for your trip. Read together, they say three things: the monthly mean temperatures at the Seoul, Busan and Jeju stations were mild, those three stations logged no snow days, and estimated foreign visitors were above their 12-month means in every province and city on the chart. Whether that is a reason to go or a reason to book carefully depends on how much you value quiet.
Weather in April 2026: what the stations recorded
The table uses Korea Meteorological Administration ASOS station records for April 2026. A monthly mean of daily minimum temperatures is an average over the month, not the temperature on any one morning.
| Station | Monthly mean temperature, April 2026 | Mean daily minimum, April 2026 | Snow days, April 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 15.0 °C | 9.4 °C | 0 days |
| Busan | 15.9 °C | 12.4 °C | 0 days |
| Jeju | 15.4 °C | 11.9 °C | 0 days |
| Daegwallyeong | 9.2 °C | 1.9 °C | This page has no snow-day figure |
What to wear. In April 2026 the three city stations were close together on monthly mean temperature, from 15.0 °C in Seoul to 15.9 °C in Busan. Daegwallyeong, a station in the Gangwon highlands, had a monthly mean temperature of 9.2 °C and a mean daily minimum of 1.9 °C, lower than the other three stations. If your route includes the Gangwon mountains as well as the cities, the records suggest packing for more than one temperature, with a warmer layer for the highlands than for Seoul, Busan or Jeju.
Daylight: longer evenings by the end of the month
These are calculated values for one point in Seoul in Korea Standard Time, taken from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute calculator, and they refer to April 2027 rather than to an observed year. On April 1, 2027, daylight lasts about 755 minutes, with sunrise at 06:18 and sunset at 18:53. On April 30, 2027, it lasts about 821 minutes, with sunrise at 05:38 and sunset at 19:20. The evenings are longer by the end of the month, which may help if you plan to stay out after dinner in a place like Myeongdong.
Foreign visitor estimates: April 2026 against the 12-month mean
The figures here are Korea Tourism Organization DataLab estimates of daily foreign visitors, a mobile-carrier based measure. They are estimates of visitors per day, not tourists, arrivals or unique people, and they are not added across days, regions or administrative levels. Each percentage compares April 2026 with the same region's daily mean for May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026. Every region was observed for 30 of 30 days in April 2026 and 365 of 365 days in the twelve months ending April 2026.
- Provinces and cities: Seoul 24% above its 12-month mean, Busan 28%, Jeju 21%, Gangwon 24%, Gyeonggi 24% and Incheon 27%.
- Districts (parts of their provinces, not added to them): Jung-gu, the district that includes Myeongdong, 20% above; Jeongseon 40% above; Hongcheon 3% above; Pyeongchang 2% below.
Not every Gangwon place moved with its province. Gangwon as a whole was 24% above its 12-month mean in April 2026, Jeongseon was 40% above, Hongcheon was close to its mean at 3% above, and Pyeongchang was 2% below. This page has no figure that explains why the districts differ, so it does not offer a reason.
Holidays and key dates: the edge of May
April itself has no public holiday on this page's list. The nearby dates fall in early May.
Observed in 2026. Labor Day fell on May 1, 2026 and Children's Day on May 5, 2026. For each single day, we compare the estimate with the preceding same-weekday non-holiday observations in the same region. These are one-day comparisons, so treat them as snapshots.
- Seoul: 9% above on May 1, 2026 and 13% above on May 5, 2026.
- Busan: 15% above on May 1, 2026 and 28% above on May 5, 2026.
- Jeju: 36% above on May 1, 2026 and 14% above on May 5, 2026.
- Gangwon: 30% above on May 1, 2026 and 9% above on May 5, 2026.
- Gyeonggi: 2% below on May 1, 2026 and 9% below on May 5, 2026.
- Incheon: 6% below on May 1, 2026 and 10% above on May 5, 2026.
Scheduled for 2027. The reference dates are Labor Day on May 1, 2027, its substitute holiday on May 3, 2027, Children's Day on May 5, 2027 and Buddha's Birthday on May 13, 2027. If your April trip is flexible, those dates mark where an early-May holiday period begins in 2027.
Where to go and what to do
Seoul. Seoul is the obvious base for an April visit: its station recorded a monthly mean temperature of 15.0 °C and no snow days in April 2026, and its evenings are longer by the end of the month. Jung-gu, the district that includes the Myeongdong shopping street, was 20% above its 12-month mean in April 2026, the same direction as Seoul as a whole at 24% above. Estimates for Myeongdong's district are part of the Seoul figure and are not added to it.
Busan and Jeju. Busan and Jeju stations had monthly mean temperatures of 15.9 °C and 15.4 °C in April 2026, and Busan's estimate was 28% above its 12-month mean, the highest percentage among the provinces and cities on the chart. Jeju's was 21% above, the lowest.
Gangwon mountains. Pyeongchang is known for its ski resorts, and Hongcheon and Jeongseon are inland Gangwon districts. In April 2026, the ASOS station at Daegwallyeong recorded the coolest monthly mean on this page, 9.2 °C. Pyeongchang's estimate was 2% below its 12-month mean, while Jeongseon's was 40% above.
April or May?
This page has no May weather figures, so it cannot say which month is warmer. What it does have is a clear edge: the early-May holidays. In 2026 the single-day windows for Labor Day and Children's Day were above the preceding same-weekday observations in Seoul, Busan, Jeju and Gangwon, and below them on some days in Gyeonggi and Incheon. If you prefer ordinary days, finish the trip before May 1 in whichever year you travel. If you want the holiday atmosphere, the 2027 dates above show where it begins. Either way, April 2026's visitor estimates were already above the 12-month means in all six provinces and cities on the chart, so plan for company in April as well.
Sources
- Korea Tourism Organization DataLab regional visitor estimates (data.go.kr dataset 15101972)
- Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, sunrise and sunset time calculator
- Korea Law Information Center, Regulations on Holidays of Government Offices
- Korea AeroSpace Administration, announcement of the 2027 Wollyeok Yohang (calendar outline)
- Korea AeroSpace Administration, announcement of the 2026 Wollyeok Yohang (calendar outline)
- Korea Meteorological Administration, ASOS daily observations (data.go.kr 15059093)
- KMA Open MET Data Portal, ASOS daily data lookup
Checked on October 17, 2026.